Automobile storage



Y July 28, 1931. w M KEENAN i 1,816,590

AUTOMOBILE S TORAGE Filed April 23, 1928 2 Sheets-Sheet l July 28, r1931. w, MVKEENAN 1,816,590

AUTOMOBILE STORAGE Filed April 23, 1928 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 WJ.'

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WS/ l \\V-VV l l l l Patented July 28, 1931 I .UmTEosTATEs PATENT OFFICE WALTER M. KEENAN,

METROPOLITAN or NEW YORK, 1v.

Y., ASSIGNOR, BY MESNE ASSIGNMENTS, TO ENGINEERING COMPANY, A CORPORATION OF NEW YORK AUTOMOBILE s'roRaGE Application led April 23, 1928.

This invention relates. to an improved means for handling and storing automobiles in handling. 4

apparent from the following specification 1 storage 3, the l in different parts of the building and aims to provide means for increasing the speed The invention will be fully when read in connection with the-accompanying drawings in which- Fig. 1 is a sectional elevation througha building illustratingv one embodiment of the invention;

Fig. 2 is a sectional plan on line 2-2 4of Fig. 1; l

Fig. 3 is an elevation with parts shown section'illustrating the application of my invention to existing buildings of the apartment house, office building or department store type;

Fig. 4 is a view from the right of Fig.-

ower portion of the bui ding being shown in section;

ig. 5 is a sectional plan on line 5 5 of Fig. 4. y

Referring rst to Figs. l and 2, 20 represents an automobile storage or garage building provided with a series of floors at different elevations as indicated by numerals 1 to 15 above the normal street level 22. The building is also equipped with subs171rface storage levels ind1cated at 16 and l n 'In the embodiment of Fig. 1, the building 1s designed to accommodate automobiles in different tiers, one tier indicated erally by numeral A being located at one side of the building and another tier lindicated by numeral B at the other extremity of the buildin The tiers A and each of a lengt corresponding to space required to accommodate the longest car likely to be stored.

n intermediate tier C consists of rooms or storage compartments of a length adapted to store two or more cars arranged end to end or to take care of cars of extremely long wheel-base.

For quickly handling cars to be stored, I provide a multiple elevator comprising s aced flexible carriers 24 passing over suitable 'guide wheels 26, these carriers hav- B are Serial No. 272,014. f

ing suspended therebetween a multiplicity of car-carrying cages 28. In the embodiment shown, each cage is provided with an upper platform and a lower platform 32 so that a plurality of cars can be handled by each cage. The elevator is driven by any suitable prime mover such as an electric motor as indicated, for example, at 30.

In practice, cars to be stored will be driven in through the doorway 32 usually at the street level as indicated by the entering car 34 in Figs liand 2. This car will make 1n position, car 36 may be driven straight onto the elevator and carried to any unoccupied lloor. For example, as shown in the drawings, a car 38 can be stored in one of the upper doors ofthe tier B. .A car 40 carried by the same elevator cage 28 by which the car 38 was handled is shown leaving the cage. The spacing between the floors and the spacing of the elevators may be arranged so that a great number of cars can be simultaneously either loaded or discharged. As shown in Fig. 1, cages of the elevator are shown in either loading or discharging position and as each of these cages is capable of holding two cars, it is clear that eight cars can be handled simultaneously.. The spacing of the cages shown in the drawing is merely a diagrammatic representation and, of course, it will be appreciated that by a suitable choice o dimensions a much greater number of cars can be simultaneously handled.

e arrangement of apted particularly for installation in existing buildings such as apartment houses or ofHce buildings and illustrates how a great number ofcars can be stored in subcelle'rs or below grade. In this embodiment of the invention, the cars to be stored fenter through a doorway 42 at the street level are loaded onto one of the cages 44 carried by the flexible carrier 46.

The carrier is guidedv on idler wheels 48 48, 50, 52, 54 and 56 which are so arranged that the cages can traverse either the storage level 58 or 60. As thus arranged, it is clear that the cages have both a vertical and horizontal travel so that a multiplicity ofl cars can be stored side by side at either level 58 or 60.

From the foregoing it is clear that I provide means for simultaneously loading or discharging a multiplicity of cars and also for handling a great number of cars. The

arrangement overcomes the objection found` or waste space in buildings for the parking or storage of automobiles in a convenient and expeditious manner. Where the installation is used in department stores, offlee buildings, apartment houses and the like,

the users cars are readily accessible in closely adjacent storage spaces for the customers, tenants, employees, and so forth. Thus great numbers of cars can be parked or temporarily stored in a compact manner in such a way that they can be quickly brought to the street level for the user. It is clear that by.. storing or parking cars as herein described, the blocking of 'street traic by parked cars is avoided.

Various modifications may be made without departing from the invention as defined in the appended claims.

Vhat I claim is v l. A building having a flexible member sustaining a multiplicity of carriers, means for guiding said flexible member, said building having an automobile entrance at the street level and a plurality of rows of automobile storage compartments located one over the other below the street level with a space between said rows, said flexible member arranged to travel in said space and said multiplicity of carriers supported by said flexible meml; er being adapted to lower automobiles from said street level entrance and transfer them laterally to compartments below the street level.

A building having a flexible member sustaininsf a multiplicity of carriers, means for guiding said flexible member, said building haring an automobile entrance at a predetermined level and a plurality of rows of automobile storage zones located one over the other below the street level with a space between said rows, said flexible member arranged to travel in said space and a multiplicity of carriers supported by the flexible ly, said buildincr having an automobile entrance at a predetermined level and ayplu-` rality of-rows of automobilestoragefzones located one over the other below thestreetv level with a space between saidr rows, said flexible member being to travel in said space and sa1d carriers being adapted to transfer automobiles laterally to desired zones below the .street level. 4. A building having a flexible member having a horizontally traveling lportion below the street level, means for guiding said flexible member, said building havingan` automobile entrance at a predetermined level, a plurality of' automobile storage zones located one over the other below the `StreetV level, said flexible member beingl arranged tol travel lengthwise of said zones, and said carriers being adapted to lower automobilesy from said entrance and transfer themv later-l ally to said zones below thestreet level.

5. A building having a flexible member having a horizontally traveling portion vbe-v low the street level, means forv guiding said flexibley member, said building having van.

automobile entrance at a .predetermined level, a plurality of automobile storage `zones disposed ina substantially horizontal plane` below the street level, saidflexible'member being arranged to travel lengthwiseof said zones,and said carriers being adapted toy transfer automobiles from sa1d entrance yto:

any of said zones.

In witness whereof, I have.v hereunto arranged 

